The University of Sussex is a public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961. The university is currently ranked 8th in the UK, 16th in Europe and 79th in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.The Guardian university guide 2012 placed Sussex joint 11th, and the Times Good University Guide 2012 ranks Sussex at 14th place. Sussex is also a founder member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.
The University of Sussex began as an idea for the construction of a university to serve Brighton. In December 1911 there was a public meeting at the Royal Pavilion in order to discover ways to fund the construction of a university. However, the project was halted by the First World War, and the money raised was used instead for books for the Municipal Technical College.
The idea was revived in the 1950s and, in June 1958, the government approved the corporation's scheme for a university at Brighton, the first of a new generation of what came to be known as plate glass universities. The University was established as a company in 1959, with a Royal Charter being granted on 16 August 1961. Since then Sussex has made a number of distinguished contributions, across the spread of university activity. Harry Kroto discovered buckminsterfullerene, for which he won a Nobel prize.
In the arts Sussex became known for the study of English literature and also for art history and the history of ideas. In the social sciences the Institute of Development Studies and the Science Policy research Unit achieved international recognition ; these are just a few relevant examples of distinguished research activity.
